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Travel guide – samos

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Overview

The easternmost island of the Aegean, Samos, was one of the first Greek islands to take advantage of the package tour boom that began in earnest in the 1980s. Today, easily accessed with its international airport, it has become 184 square miles (477 sq km) of holiday resort, its beaches crammed with sunbeds and encircled by hundreds of hotel rooms, its roads blocked with tour buses and its waterfronts lined with tavernas, bars and cafes. Tourism may have taken over, but that does not mean that this lovely island has lost its traditional charm or its scenic beauty. The very fact that it remains such a popular destination testifies to the fact that it has a great deal to offer the thousands of holidaymakers that come to enjoy themselves each year, many returning again and again.

In ancient times when the great mathematician, Pythagoras, was born here in the 6th century BC, Samos flourished, as evidenced by the now few remains of its magnificent architecture, which included a temple and marble paved road lined with 2,000 statues (now largely covered by the airport runway). The course of its more modern history has seen the island in a tug of war between Greece and Turkey, but since 1913 Samos has been indisputably Greek.

Samos town curls around a semi-circular bay with its pretty pastel-coloured buildings rising in tiers up a green hillside from its busy, and somewhat tacky touristy waterfront. Numerous other coastal towns and villages encircle the island, all offering holiday accommodation and tourist trappings. Inland there are some delightful mountain villages with picturesque alleyways and friendly locals, which, out of season anyway, still maintain the illusion of being unspoilt by mass tourism.

Samos has always been known as being blessed with natural beauty, and this has not changed. The dramatic, indented coastline is dotted with sand and shingle coves, while inland the slopes of the mountains and hills are covered in samian vines and verdant forest.

All in all, for a classic Aegean summer holiday with hot weather, jolly crowds, lively tavernas, sights to see, shops to browse and a selection of good beaches, Samos comes up trumps.

Climate

Sunshine is the order of every day in Samos during the summer months, but temperatures remain comfortable with the help of the 'meltemia', northern winds that cool the sun-drenched island. Rainfall is heavy, but most of the rain falls in winter. From mid-April until mid-October the weather is almost completely dry.

Health

There are no specific health risks in Greece, but visitors who plan to walk through forested areas are advised to consider vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis. Medical facilities in Greece vary; those in major cities are excellent but many of the islands are some distance from a decent hospital. Food and water are safe, but those visiting for short periods should consider sticking to bottled water. UK nationals are entitled to a refund on emergency hospital treatment under a reciprocal agreement between the UK and Greece, and a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) should be taken on holiday for this purpose. Despite this, all visitors are advised to take out medical insurance. Yellow fever vaccination certificates are required for those arriving from infected areas. Bird flu was detected in swans in northern Greece in February 2006, but stringent measures have been taken to contain the outbreak; no human infections have been reported. The risk to people is believed to be very low, but visitors are advised to avoid any contact with caged, wild or domestic birds, and to ensure that all poultry and egg dishes are well cooked as a precaution.

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Travel Guide by www.wordtravels.com
Disclaimer: By its very nature much of the information in our travel guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they're relying with the relevant authorities. Winter Sunshine Holidays & Globe Media cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.